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More schools are mixing beer, football at stadiums

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: North Texas, SMU and Troy University will begin beer sales to the general public this season. Photo: Associated Press

ERIC OLSON, AP College Football Writer

Walk through the tailgate area at a college football stadium, and beer drinking is as common a sight as fans adorned in jerseys of their favorite players.

A growing number of schools are bringing the party inside, opening taps in concourses that traditionally have been alcohol-free zones.

North Texas, SMU and Troy University will begin beer sales to the general public this season. They’re among 21 on-campus football stadiums where any fan of legal age can grab a brew. That’s more than twice as many as five years ago.

Most schools continue to keep alcohol restricted to premium seating areas, if they allow it at all.

But offering alcohol is increasingly attractive for some campuses, especially for cash-strapped athletic departments outside the Power 5 conferences. Those schools, especially, are looking for ways to keep fans coming to stadiums instead of sitting at home or at sports bars.